What are best pramipexole uses, side effects & precautions?

Why did doctors prescribe pramipexole?

Pramipexole is used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease or its symptoms and in the treatment of restless legs syndrome. Pramipexole comes under the class of medications known as dopamine agonists. Parkinson’s disease is a disease in which you will feel difficulties with movement, muscle control, and balance or you can say that a disorder of the nervous system by which you’ll feel these problems like stiffness, slowed movements, shaking of parts of the body, and problems with balance. Restless legs syndrome is a disease in which you will feel discomfort in the legs and a strong urge to move the legs. It sold under the brand name Mirapex and Mirapex ER.

How should pramipexole be used?

Pramipexole is available in th form of a tablet and an extended-release tablet to take by mouth. Usually, your healthcare professionals will prescribe you this medication to take three times a day with or without food, to prevent nausea, it will help you and the extended-release tablet is taken once a day when you take this medication in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. For the treatment of restless legs syndrome, before bedtime, the regular tablet of pramipexole medication is taken once a day, 2 to 3 hours. The extended-release tablets can’t be used in the treatment of restless legs syndrome.

At the starting of your treatment with this medication, your doctor will start your treatment from very low doses. It can’t be increased more than once every 4 to 7 days. Before you reach the stage where this medication dosage will work for you, it will take several weeks. And without chewing, crushing, or splitting, swallow the full extended-release tablets.

Ensure to follow the directions exactly on your prescription label carefully. Don’t ever try to take less or more of this medication than prescribed by your doctor or pharmacists. Always take this medication at around the same time each and every day. The length and dosage of treatment depend on your medical condition and response to treatment. If you don’t understand any of the parts then ask your healthcare provider to explain all the things again.

Contact your healthcare professionals immediately, if you see your symptoms may become worse in comparison to the past. So before using this medication, you should know that when you use pramipexole medication for the treatment of restless legs syndrome, your symptoms may worse or begin earlier in the evening or afternoon or may occur in the early morning. To see the most benefit of this medication use it regularly. And after that, if you feel your condition doesn’t improve then you may contact your doctor.

Without consulting your healthcare professionals, don’t stop using this pramipexole even if you feel well. In case if you have stopped using it suddenly, you will changes in consciousness, feel fever, muscle stiffness, and some other side effects. Your doctor will tell you when you have stopped using this medication. The most important thing is pramipexole does not cure these conditions or symptoms such as Parkinson’s disease and restless legs syndrome, it only controls them. And never start using pramipexole medication again suddenly without your healthcare professional’s confirmation. That would b very dangerous for you.

What are the pramipexole side effects?

Pramipexole is a medication that can be used only for serious side effects. That’s why this medication can only be used by people who have some serious side effects. Without your healthcare professionals don’t try to use this medication and they will suggest this medication by judging the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Don’t try to use it for a longer time period than prescribed. 

Contact your healthcare professionals immediately, if you are having any of these side effects or symptoms mentioned below while you are using the pramipexole medication. 

Some common pramipexole side effects:

• You’ll feel constipation.
• You’ll feel diarrhea.
• You’ll feel a dry mouth.
• You’ll feel nausea.
• You’ll feel weakness.
• You’ll feel pain in the back, arms, or legs.
• You’ll feel frequent urination or an urgent need to urinate.
• You’ll feel difficulty urinating or pain when urinating.
• You’ll feel difficulty remembering.
• You’ll feel abnormal dreams.
• You’ll feel heartburn.
• You’ll feel swollen, stiff, or painful joints.
• You’ll feel dizziness.
• You’ll feel the loss of balance, fall.
• You’ll feel difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.

Some serious pramipexole side effects:

• You’ll see unreal things or hearing unreal voices (hallucinations).
• You’ll feel confused.
• You’ll feel aggressive behavior.
• You’ll feel muscle stiffness or aching.
• You’ll feel muscle weakness.
• Your urine color will be changed into dark, red, or cola-colored.
• You’ll see some uncontrol changes like the way you sit or stand, bending forward at the waist, walk, neck bending forward, stand.
• You’ll feel abnormal body movements and motions that you cannot control.
• You’ll feel muscle tenderness.
• You’ll feel agitation, abnormal thoughts.
• You’ll feel changes in your vision.
• You’ll feel rash, itching, or swelling.
• You’ll feel trouble breathing.

This is not the complete list of all symptoms and side effects of this medication. In case, if you are facing any unusual problems and do not go away or are getting worse then immediately contact your health care professionals. This medication may also cause some other side effects also.

If you are in the United States and you are facing these serious side effects or someone near you then you can contact the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or call at 1-888-463-6332 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

What happens if I overdose?

Some of the symptoms or side effects can occur because of an overdose of pramipexole medication. If you have experienced a fast heart rate or any other serious symptoms or side effects then contact your healthcare professionals immediately.

What special precautions could I take?

If you have experienced or faced any of the problems mentioned above then contact your health care professionals immediately. Follow all the mentioned precautions carefully, these are all precautions that you can take while using this product.

You should have followed this special precaution before using pramipexole:

• If you are allergic to pramipexole or any other medications and other drugs, or any of the ingredients in this medicine tablet or extended-release tablets then tell your doctor and pharmacist and ask them for all ingredients of pramipexole by which you are allergic.
• If you are breastfeeding, pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. If you become pregnant and you want to take this medication then tell your doctor and pharmacist immediately. 
• When you are taking the extended-release tablets of pramipexole then you should know that if you see something that looks like a swollen tablet or swollen pieces of tablet in your stool then tell your doctor and pharmacist.
• When you are using the pramipexole, you should know that alcohol can be harmful to you because alcohol can add to drowsiness. So, if you regularly drink alcoholic beverages then contact your doctor and pharmacist.
• If you start taking the treatment with this medication you should know about the common problem you’ll face that when you try to get up too quickly from a lying position you’ll feel dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting. So, if you want to avoid this problem then stand up from bed slowly, and for a few minutes, before standing up, rest your feet on the floor. You can contact your healthcare professionals if your condition doesn’t improve, or you can sit or lie down if you experience these symptoms.
• If you are taking some vitamins, nutritional supplements, prescription, and non-prescription medication or drugs and any other drug or medicine, and herbal products, especially mental illness, and nausea, antihistamines, cimetidine, medications for allergies, metoclopramide, sedatives, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers or planning to take them while using this medication then tell your doctor and pharmacist. 
• Until you know how pramipexole medication can affect you, Don’t ever try to drive a car because this drug may make you dizzy or not operate any machinery until you see clearly.
• During your regular daily activities, you should know that you may fall asleep suddenly or drowsy because of this medication or when you are watching television or driving the car then contact your doctor and pharmacist.
• If you are taking pramipexole tablets to treat Parkinson’s disease or restless legs syndrome developed some problems such as an increased interest in shopping or sex, gambling problem, overeating problems, or other intense urges. Then you should know that it is not confirmed by the doctor that this medication can develop these problems. So contact your doctor and pharmacist and tell them all the things.
• if you have or have ever had a mental illness, a sleep disorder other than restless legs syndrome, dizziness, fainting, trouble controlling the movement of your muscles, low blood pressure, or kidney disease then contact your doctor and pharmacist.

What can I know about the storage and disposal of this medication?

Store this medication at room temperature and keep them away from light or excessive heat and moisture. And put them away from the reach of the pets and children, we suggest you put that medicine in a tightly closed container in which they came. 

You should have disposed of all the medication that is unneeded in a special way to ensure that children, pets, and other people can’t consume them. You can not flush them or pour them into the drain. You can return them to the pharmacist or the best way is that you can take back the program for returning your medicines.

What do I do if I forget a dose?

If you forgot to take this medication and if it is near the time of your next dose then we suggest you please skip that dose and take it at the next dose at the regular time. Don’t take the dose at irregular times. It makes your dose double. Or you can take your missed dose as soon as you remember it.

Always skip the missed dose, when you are using the regular pramipexole tablets to treat restless legs syndrome. Don’t take the dose at irregular times. It makes your dose double. before your next bedtime, take your regular dose for 2 to 3 hours.

Always skip the missed dose, when you are using the extended-release pramipexole tablets to treat restless legs syndrome. Don’t take the dose at irregular times. It makes your dose double. Or you can take your missed dose as soon as you remember it.

What other information should I know?

If you are taking any prescription and non-prescription medication or drugs, while you are using this medication, it is very important to tell your healthcare professionals about this. To make it easy and unforgettable, you can create a list of all prescription and non-prescription medications or drugs and any other drug or medicine you are taking. You can show that list to your healthcare professionals or pharmacists at the time of visit or meeting them. It would help you in case of emergencies. It would help you in case of emergencies.

At the time of meeting your healthcare professionals, don’t forget to carry the laboratory report. And the most important thing is to never miss your doctor and laboratory appointments because your healthcare professionals will check the response of this medicine then he/she will tell you the update or other pieces of information. So, keep all your appointments with your doctor, pharmacist, and the laboratory. And before having any laboratory test, if you are already taking this product then tell your doctor and the laboratory personnel. Talk to your healthcare professionals if you feel your health condition is getting worse or your dose may need to be adjusted.

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